Since sign-waving technique did not factor into our endorsements, we back Tiare Lawrence. Lawrence has strong community support and ties that show she would bring effective representation to the people of her district. She has worked hard to stand up to corporate special interests, fighting consistently to ensure that pesticide regulation gets passed to protect our keiki. Her opponent, incumbent Kyle Yamashita (who did not respond to a request for an interview), has been in the house since 2005 for a lackluster career as a representative, where he notably co-introduced HB 2501, the bill to permit A&B to divert East Maui water.

In her Walk Story, Lawrence said, “We need to get some of those lands back into the hands of the public so that we can create these new sustainable economic opportunities for the people of Maui.” We agree.

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Early voting is available until August 9. Primary Election Day will be on August 11 from 7am to 6pm. Visit elections.hawaii.gov to learn more.